Attaching bracket for canopy supports and canopies



29, 1944; v.'P. NELSON ATTACHING' BRACKET FOR CANOPY SUPPORTS ANDCANOPIES Filed April 16, 1943 l lze/lvm P/Vezsazg,

awe mug Patented Aug. 29, 1944 OFFICE ATTACK-[IN G BRACKET FOR CANOPYSUPPORTS AND CANOPIES Virginia P. Nelson, New York, N. Y.

Application April 16, 1943, Serial No. 483,311

6 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in attaching brackets for canopysupports and canopies, for use in attaching canopy supports and canopiesto bed or cot frames. More particularly the invention relates tobrackets for attaching the lower ends or legs of such supports to theside rails of bed or cot frames, and which also serve as means for theattachment thereto of amosquito net or other type of canopy, whereby thecanopy may also be fastened in position.

An object of the invention is to provide a imple, effective andinexpensive construction of bracket for the purposes set forth, whichmay be readily applied to and removed from a bed or cot frame and which,when in use, will securely hold the canopy support in position andagainst casual displacement.

.Another object of the invention is to provide a bracket of thischaracter which embodies a clip' to engag a cot or a bed rail, a socketto receive the lower end or leg of a, canopy support, and means, such asa retaining hook or the like, to

receive a link or other engaging element on the and canopy applied to acot or bed frame and heldin position by brackets of the type embodyingthe invention, 7

Fig. 2 is a cross section through one of the side rails of the bed orcot frame, showing a portion of a canopy support and a canopy attachedto the rail by one of the brackets.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing the'embodiment of the invention ina bracket made of' metal.

Fig. 4 is a perspective View of partssimilar to Fig. 2 Showing a form ofbracket adapted to be,

made of non-metal, plastic or composite materials.

Referring now more particularly to Figs. 1 to 3, inclusive, of thedrawing, l designates the frame of a out or other bedstead including theside rails 2, 3 a plurality of canopy supports, and 4 a canopy ofsuitable type and construction mounted on the supports so as to overlieand enclose the frame, and. which may be in practice a mosquito nettingor other kind of canopy.

Any number of the supports 3 may be used and spaced a desired distanceapart and they may be of collapsible or non-collapsible type and made ofrust-proof metal or other material. Each support, as shown, isofinverted U-form and has free ends or leg portions 5 suitably spaced forattachment to the side rails 2 of the bed frame. The canopy 4 may, ifdesired, be provided with transverse strengthening bands or tapes 6 atthe points where it rests on or engages the supports.

A bracket 1 is employed to connect the leg portion 5 of each supportwith a bed rail 2 and for attaching an adjacent portion of the canopythereto. This bracket may be formed of a plurality of pieces of metal orit may be formed as a unitary structure of metal. In the constructionshown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 the bracket 1 comprises a U-shaped springmetal clip 8 formed of a vertically disposed bodyp0rtion'9 and a pair ofjaws i0 and II extending in the same direction, or inwardly, from thebody portions. These jaws are adapted to be forced inwardly from theouter side of a rail 2 to grip the rail, as shown in Fig. 3. In the formdisclosed the lower jaw I0 is flat while the upper jaw II is curved, asat I2, 50 as to be placed under tension to increase its clamping effectand to adapt the curved portion to serve as a resilient hinge allowingthe jaw to be sprung upward for a releasing action and by reaction toexert a clamping'pressure-and draw the coacting jaw l0 tightly intoengagement with the bed rail. The free end of the jaw II is preferablyrolled upon itself to form an upwardly and backwardly turned bead I3under which one or more fingers may be inserted to exert pressure tolift the jaw and free the clip for disengagement from the rail, whendesired, without injury to the hand of-the operator.

The body portion 9 is provided on its outer side with a keeper socket I4to receive a leg portion 5 of a support 3 and with a bottom wall orstopportion on which the end of the leg portion may bear. The socket I 4is shown as comprising two angularly bent uprights or ,side members l5formed ;by slitting the metal or the wall 9 and nding p rti ns o e a uta d ye bracketsemployedare equalinmlmberto t e l gs of the supportsandfire engaged with the opposite rails at proper points to receive thele portions of the supports and to hold the jsuDpOrtsfirmly, but"detachably, in engagement with the 'bed frame. vArequired number ofthesebrackets may be easily and quickly applied to the support and,canopy to be set up for use and whenever desired the canopy and supportsmay be readily taken down by releasing the legs from the brackets. Asthebrackets have a secure gripping action and as the supports tend to holdthe brackets against outward displacement, a simple, and yet strong andstable, support for the canopy will be provided which will standconsiderable pressure without liability of displacement at any supportedpoint.

As stated, the socket is provided with a bottom wall or stop portion onwhich the lower end of the support leg may rest. This bottom wall orstop portion is shown as being formed at I6 by metal strips l1 doubledor folded at their inner ends upon themselves to provide said portionsl6 and bent at their face ends to form keeper hooks l8. These hooks l8are designed for engagement by loops or other engaging members I9applied to the canopy 4 adjacent its side edges, by means of which thecanopy may in a simple manner be fastened to the brackets. The canopymay thus be held in place and closely against the bedding so as toprevent the entrance of insects, while at the same time allowing a sideportion of the canopy to be released to permit entrance and exit of aperson to and from the bed. The strips I1 may be formed by slittingportions of the jaw l and bending such portions outward with theportions l when the latter are formed as will be readily understood;

The character of the supports 3 and construction of the brackets 8employed permits the canopy to be readily applied to any cot or bed in aready and convenient manner and to be as readily removed when desiredand the mode of attachment of the canopy to the brackets ensures a closeconnection to prevent any gaps allowing the entrance of insects.

In Fig. 4 a modified form of bracket 8 is shown which adapts the bracketto be made of plywood, plastic or composite materials. In this form ofthe invention the clip portion of the bracket is of the same shape asthe clip portion of the bracket shown in Fig. 2 and the correspondingparts thereof are designated by the same reference characters. Thesocket portion I4 however, in this modified construction comprises aplate having an offset socket, forming portion lfi and the socket baseand retaining hooks are shown as comprising a plate Hi having an outwardextension ll terminating in a hook portion [8 These respective parts ofthe bracket are separately formed and united by preferred fasteningmeans or by a suitable cementitious material.

It is to be understood, of course, that while the bracket constructionsshown herein for purposes of exemplification are preferred, such changesin the form, arrangement and proportions of the parts may be made,within the scope of the appended claims, without departing from thespirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A socket and loop for canopies having bows and comprising a verticalportion having a pair of clip arms extending in vertically spacedrelation from said vertical portion in one direction, angled socketportions extending vertically of said vertical portion and having theirproximal edges spaced, said socket portions being adapted to receive thebottom end of a bow, stop means extending inwardly of the angled portionto limit downward movement of the bow, inwardly opening hook meansextending outwardly from the lower ends of the angled portions, and aloop securable to a canopy web and engageable in said hook means.

2. A socket and loop for canopies having bows and comprising a verticalportion having a pair of'clip arms extending in vertically spacedrelation from said vertical portion in one direction, angled socketportions extending vertically of said vertical portion and having theirproximal edges spaced, said socket portions being adapted to receive thebottom end of a bow, stop means extending inwardly of the angled portionto limit downward movement of the bow, inwardly opening hook meansextending outwardly from the lower ends of the angled portions, and aloop securable to a canopy web and engageable in said hook means, said phaving an upwardly extending end adapted to lie in the space between theedges of said angled portions.

3. A socket and loop for canopies having bows and comprising a verticalportion bent at its top and bottom edges to extend inwardly and form apair of clip jaws, said vertical portion being slitted vertically andlaterally and having the portions defined by the slits bent outwardlyand then toward each other to provide a pair of spaced angles forengagement of the lower end portion of a canopy bow, and stop meansextending inwardly from the bottom edges of the spaced angles.

4, A socket and loop for canopies having bows and comprising a verticalportion bent at its top and bottom edges to extend inwardly and form apair of clip jaws, said vertical portion being slitted vertically andlaterally and having the portions defined by the slits bent outwardlyand then toward each other to provide a pair of spaced angles forengagement of the lower end portion of a canopy bow, stop meansextending inwardly from the bottom edges of the spaced angles, hookmeans extending outwardly from the lower ends of the spaced angles, anda loop detachably engaged in said hook means and adapted to have acanopy portion secured thereto.

5. A socket and loop for canopies having bows and comprising a verticalportion bent at its top and bottom edges to extend inwardly and form" apair of clip jaws, said vertical portion being slitted vertically andlaterally and. having the portions defined by the slits bent outwardlyand then toward each other to provide a pair of spaced angles forengagement of the lower end portion of a canopy bow, stop meansextending inwardly from the bottom edges of the spaced angles, hookmeans extending outwardly from the lower ends of the spaced angles, anda loop detachably engaged in said hook means and adapted to have acanopy portion secured thereto, said loop having an upwardly extendingend adapted to lie in the spacebetween proximal edges of said spacedangles.

6. In a device of the kind described, a U-shaped clip having a verticalportion and vertically spaced clip jaws, a pair of spaced plates securedto said vertical portion and having bow end engaging angles extendingoutwardly from their proximal edges, stop means fixed to the bottomedges of said angles and extending outwardly and so bent'to form a loopengaging hook, and a loop detachably engaged in said loop and adapted tobe secured to a canopy fabric, said loop having upwardly'extending endsand adapted to lie between the proximal edges of said angles.

VIRGINIA P. NELSON.

